DIY: How to Make Gummy Bears with Natural Ingredients

Gummy worms are a delicious treat, but because of all the processed substances found within, you might feel at odds with yourself over trying to decide whether the snack is worth it.The good news is that you can make your very own gummy worms without the unhealthy ingredients. They will still taste just as delicious. Here are two ways to make your favorite snack and eat it without guilt:

Fruit Juice Gummy Worms

For this all-natural recipe, you will require three packets of gelatin (Knox), one-fourth of a cup of sugar, half a cup of a fruit juice of your choice, a box of flexible straws and a cup.

Firstly, take the flexible straws and cut them in half. Use a cup with straight sides and set the straws within the cup. Now, take a saucepan and add the fruit juice, gelatin and sugar to it. Let this cook at medium heat until the gelatin completely dissolves within the solution and is heated thoroughly. Pour this solution over the straws and let it cool inside the freezer for fifteen to thirty minutes. For longer gummy worms, you can use a longer cup and straws.

After thirty minutes, take the gummy worms out and begin to squeeze them out of the straws. There are three steps to follow for this. Run warm water over the straws with the gummy worms for a few seconds to get them out, keep squeezing to push the gummy worms out and use a rolling pin to force them out of the straws.

This process can require quite a lot of patience, so to minimize the extraction time, it is suggested to buy a mold for the worms in which the gelatin and juice solution can be added directly. Cutting the straws can also be done to reduce this time.

Naturally Sweetened Gummy Worms

For this recipe, you will need a cup of freshly squeezed juice or pureed fruit of your choice, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin and a mold for the gummy worms (or you can use the straw method explained above).

To begin, mix all the ingredients save for gelatin into a saucepan over a low-medium flame. Use a whisk to stir the mixture. Once the mixture is warm enough, slowly start adding gelatin while mixing it with the rest. Do not add the gelatin at once, especially if you’re using pureed fruit as it may not dissolve properly. Continue doing this until all the gelatin has dissolved well into the mixture. You should be able to see a glossy surface appear over it. This means that the mixture is ready.

Now, ready the gummy worm mold with a cookie sheet to make for easy extraction of the worms. Pour the mixture into the mold and freeze for 30 minutes. Once set, the worms can be placed in an airtight container in the fridge where it can last for a few weeks.